As the country's collective consciousness turned toward New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa. -- the sites where planes became bombs on Sept. 11, 2001 -- residents of Malverne gathered in the center of the village to pay tribute to those who died on that sorrowful day.
At dusk, hundreds of residents gathered at the Malverne Sept. 11 monument, near the Long Island Rail Road Station, for a candlelight vigil. The message, as conveyed by a large banner fluttering in the night wind, was clear: Malverne Remembers.
"We must remember this day always," Village Trustee William Malone said. "To forget would dishonor the memory of those we lost on that tragic day. It would also dishonor the heroes of that day, those who saved so many lives and continue to protect us today."
Many village residents saw first hand the devastation and terror of Sept. 11. Ruth Cronin, the wife of a New York City firefighter, said it is important to show support for those lost four years ago and to remember the brave acts of the police officers and firefighters who saved lives and gave their own. "I'm here to pay my respects to the firemen and the policemen who put themselves in harm's way," she said. "They're very close to my heart..."
Four of the more than 3,000 people who lost their lives that day were Malverne residents: Scott Bart, James Haran, Diane Urban and Jacqueline Donovan. Their families and friends hold dear to their memories.
As part of the ceremony, representatives of the NYPD, FDNY and the U.S. military escorted the family members of the four fallen Malvernites to the memorial to place the ceremonial wreath. As they proceeded, someone in the crowd whispered, "It doesn't get any easier."
The monument, said Deputy Mayor James Callahan, is a means of ensuring that Malverne will remember. "This monument is a symbol for all to see and so that future generations of Malvernites will always remember what happened on Sept. 11, 2001," he said. "... Four long years have come and gone since that fateful day, and memories have started to fade. But if you think back, I know you will remember the grief and the sorrow that we all felt that night. But nothing can match the sorrow and the loss that [the Bart, Haran, Urban and Donovan families] felt that day."
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